Hidden Insecurities
by petrovasfire
Summary: Caroline accidentally walks in on Klaus and Hayley's hot and heavy action, and soon she begins to rethink exactly what she feels for Klaus.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** This is my second fanfic and I've decided to tackle another one of my OTPs: Klaus/Caroline. It's set in the early parts of S4, after the Stefan/Elena breakup. Most of the characters are TVD-verse, but everything about the cure is AU and there are no vampire hunters in this story. Please let me know what you think! :-) I've already written more chapters but I'd like to know if it's worth continuing or not.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TVD or any of its characters.

* * *

Caroline Forbes watched as Damon Salvatore paced the room slowly. He'd been doing that for what she felt was the past hour, and she was starting to get dizzy from looking at him walk back and forth.

"Look, I know what I'm supposed to do, okay? Quit doing that, you're giving me a headache."

"You're just going to screw it up." Damon glanced gruffly at his brother, who was leaning against the door frame. "She's just going to screw it up, isn't she?"

Stefan ignored him and looked at Caroline. "Unlike my brother, I have more faith in you than you think. I trust that you'll keep Klaus busy until we figure out what to do with the information we have on the cure."

_Keep Klaus busy_. Caroline sighed. Every time the Salvatore brothers came up with a mission, all she ever got to do was play bait to Klaus and distract him long enough for the others to do whatever they did, which they filled her in with later. If they'd shared a knack for something, it would be to make her feel completely useless. She always felt that they doubted what she could contribute to their plans, and the only job they could trust her with was the one involving Klaus. What good could wasting hours with Klaus do?

Then again, spending time with him wasn't the worst thing in the world. She grimaced as soon as she realised what she'd just told herself. What was she thinking? Of _course_ spending time with Klaus was the worst thing in the world.

Damon snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hey, Blondie, are you listening? That means no mentioning it whatsoever, got it? Bat your lashes, compliment him, lock lips with him if you have to." He ignored Caroline's disgusted expression.

"Just don't bring up what we know about the cure. This is serious stuff. If Klaus has even the slightest hunch about the info we have, we're completely screwed."

"I got it, Damon. Anything else?"

"Yeah. _Don't_ screw it up."

* * *

Once the Salvatore brothers left the house, Caroline found herself rummaging her wardrobe, already planning an outfit. Then she stopped herself abruptly. Was she seriously going to try and look good for _Klaus_? She burst out laughing.

In the end, she settled for a blue sundress that she thought brought out her eyes best. As she made her way to Mikaelson Family Mansion, she thought about what she'd say to him. She couldn't mention the cure at all, so it'd be small talk all the way. She groaned as she wondered how long she'd have to stay at the mansion before the Salvatore brothers said it was OK for her to get out.

She rapped on the door and waited. There was no response.

She banged on it. Nothing.

"Klaus, are you in there?"

Again, she was met with silence. She trod around the driveway and sighed, throwing her hands into the air. _Where the hell is he?_

Just as she was about to give up and go back home, she heard a crash coming from inside the house followed by muffled voices. Without hesitation, she pushed the door open and rushed inside.

"Klaus? What's going on? Kla–"

Caroline stood in the doorway, frozen. A few feet from her was a half-naked Klaus but surprisingly, that wasn't what caught her attention. It was what, or should she say, _who_, was in his arms that made Caroline's eyes bulge out of their sockets. Because clad in nothing but her undergarments, indulged in the hot and heavy action with Klaus was whom Caroline recognised as the she-wolf Hayley.

* * *

Realising that she was beginning to stare, Caroline turned on her heel and started walking away (though through the stomp of her feet, it felt more like _marching_ away), extremely horrified at what she'd just seen. The sight of Klaus and Hayley together, _making out_, made Caroline want to hurl.

Klaus caught her arm before she could make it out to the driveway. "Caroline, wait."

"I'm _so_ sorry for interrupting your afternoon, Klaus." The words came out harsher than she'd meant them to. "I didn't know you had company."

"Well, you should have told me you were coming over."

"Well, _you_ should've…" Caroline trailed off. She couldn't think of a comeback. She didn't even know why she felt she even needed to in the first place. All she knew was that she had to get out of there. She tried to pull away from Klaus's grasp, but his grip on her arm only grew tighter.

"Please, at least let me make it up to you."

She laughed bitterly. "Make up for _what_?"

"For this… unbefitting situation."

Caroline scoffed. Unbefitting was a _huge_ understatement.

"Dinner, tomorrow night. Your choice of venue."

She looked at him incredulously. She was sure he was joking, but the glimmer of hope in his eyes obviously begged to differ. She was about to yield to his offer and say yes, her lips already forming the word. But as she glanced at Hayley, who was still there for God knows what reason and no doubt listening to every word they were saying, Caroline got a good, hard smack from reality. She shook her head feebly. Klaus made no effort to hide the crestfallen look on his face, and he didn't loosen his grip on her arm, either.

"Please, Caroline."

She peered at him and then finally (and hesitantly) gave in, partly because she really _did_ want to get out of there and partly because apparently, she was a spineless vampire that didn't know how to say 'no way, not in a million years'.

"Fine, I'll think about it, okay? Right now, I just have to go."

* * *

Not one horror flick from Matt's impressive selection of films could erase the image of the hybrid and the wolf having sex in the mansion parlour. She cringed at the thought for the fifteenth time that night. To think that Klaus, with the amount of self-confidence he had and that reputation he needed to uphold, would stoop so low as to go for someone like Hayley. Caroline only saw the she-wolf as a floozy since she'd had some sort of relationship with Tyler back when he was just a werewolf, and now she was sleeping with Klaus–

Caroline jerked back, startled by her own thoughts. Was she really implying that she had some kind of hold over Klaus? She shook her head fiercely. No, of course she wasn't. She loved Tyler, and she hated Klaus for running him out of town _and_ killing his mother. There was nothing good about Klaus, not for as long as anyone could remember. If she ever felt even a sliver of feeling towards him, it would be hatred and nothing _less_ than that. Klaus had singlehandedly ruined the lives of everyone she ever cared about, and to feel anything for him other than hatred would be completely irrational.

But somehow despite constantly reminding herself of it through the rest of the day, she couldn't help but dislike Hayley even more than she ever did before.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** Yikes, I know this is chapter is very long but I just didn't know _where_ to stop, & I even had to split the second part with the next chapter. I would also like to point out that I've been listening to A LOT of oldies music this week especially when writing this chapter because I like to picture Klaus/Caroline as those vintage old picture films kind of couple, hence I apologise in advance for whatever references you will find. I hope you'll continue letting me know if it's good or bad because even though I've planned out a whole story line for it (so this story _won't_ be a short one), I want to know if anyone still wants to keep reading it.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own TVD _or_ Grease. Only the plot line is mine.

* * *

"What the _hell_ happened yesterday?"

Caroline glanced at the floor, avoiding Damon's surly expression. He crossed his arms across his chest. He knew from the start that Caroline would screw it up, but she was going to prove him wrong. She was _supposed_ to prove him wrong.

Ultimately, she'd failed.

Damon looked grimly at his brother. "Plan B?"

Stefan didn't reply. Caroline looked from one Salvatore to another, a puzzled look coming over her. They had a plan B for Klaus? She frowned. She thought she was the _only_ plan.

"What's plan B?"

Damon's brows knitted together, as if thinking, _why is she still here?_ "Nothing you should be worried about, so guess what? You're off duty! Now you can go… scramble off with another one of your boy dramas."

Caroline glared at him. "I am _not_ the drama queen you think I am, Damon. I can do this."

"Really? Because judging from the fact that you pretty much bolted out the Klaus's door before even _stepping in_, I beg to differ."

"Just give me another chance–"

"See, if you haven't noticed, I'm not a second chance kind of guy. Why don't you let _us_ handle the big bad wolf and you just sit back, relax and do whatever ditzy little blondes do in their free time?"

Before anyone could realise what was happening, Caroline's fist went flying straight into Damon's nose. He fell back in surprise and wiped the blood that was now dripping down to his chin. Stefan smirked at his side and gave Caroline a small thumbs up. She straightened back her fingers and readjusted her knuckles, feeling her blood boil with rage. Despite the dull throbbing in her hand that was now slowly wearing off, it felt incredibly good. The shamefaced look Damon wore now was definitely worth it.

Damon got to his feet and looked at Stefan. "I'll let you handle this one, brother."

He walked out of the room and as soon as he trudged down the stairs, Stefan and Caroline knew he was out of earshot. She yanked at her hair and groaned loudly.

"God, how can you _live_ with that guy? Sorry about hitting him, by the way. I have no idea what got into me." She didn't so much as try to hide the insincerity in her voice. Stefan put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. You just did something that I wish I could do on a daily basis. Besides, I think you did some damage to his dignity, too. He deserved the hell out of that punch."

Caroline smiled. She was glad that at least one of the Salvatores was bearable. Stefan always knew the right thing to say. "I don't want you guys to think that I'm just some useless vampire that's not capable of anything. If you want me to stall Klaus, then fine, I'll do it." She made a face. "He invited me out to dinner tonight."

"Then go, prove my brother that you're not as worthless as he thinks you are. The rest of us can get together and discuss again later. I know you don't want to hear it again, especially not from me, but we really _were_ lucky that Klaus didn't suspect anything yesterday. We were getting so close to finding out something else about the cure, but then you decided to join us at the last minute… well, we can only wonder what would've happened if Klaus had followed you."

Caroline bit her lip, feeling guilty. After the embarrassing run-in on Klaus and ugh, _Hayley_ yesterday, she ran off straight to her friends. They hadn't expected her to be back in at least two hours, but she'd shown up just two minutes after they got together.

"What happened yesterday, anyway? You never told us why you ran off from Klaus like that. Did he do something to hurt you?" Stefan's expression quickly turned into concern.

"No!" Caroline exclaimed, desperately thinking of what to say. She couldn't tell him that Hayley was Klaus's new boy toy. The Salvatore brothers had enough problems to deal with. "No, he didn't do anything to hurt me. It's… it's nothing. Look, I have to get ready for tonight. I'll let you know if he tries to kill me, OK?"

Stefan pursed his lips. He knew better than to push Caroline to tell him what she was obviously hiding. "Yeah, just be careful. Don't drink too much."

Caroline grinned. "I won't."

* * *

What Stefan and Damon didn't know was that she'd lied to them. She wasn't going on that stupid dinner date with Klaus. She was going to make popcorn and have a movie marathon by herself instead. Just because the Salvatores expected her to obey every single thing they asked her to do, doesn't mean she _had_ to. They weren't the boss of her. And if her friends weren't going to include her in whatever secret meeting they were going to have, then _fine_, she didn't want to be included anyway.

The first knock on her front door came just as she flopped down into the couch. She grumbled under her breath as she wondered who it could be. Her mother was working late that night (as she did _every _night), and everyone was gathered at Elena's… or was it the Salvatore boarding house? Either way, she couldn't care less. She dragged her feet to the door and immediately regretted opening it. She cringed at the person standing before her in the doorway.

"Klaus," she said in a bored tone, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to pick you up. You never gave me an answer, so I decided to be optimistic about it."

Caroline narrowed his eyes at him. She really didn't want to see him, especially not after what she'd witnessed the day before, but she knew he wasn't going anywhere no matter what she threw at him. And he was going to suspect something was up and _that_ would lead him right to her friends, wouldn't it? So she decided to go with it and be what Damon would call her Klaus's 'blonde distraction'. Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

Heaving a loud sigh, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the house, locking the front door. Klaus raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. This was certainly a turn of events. He'd half-expected her to slam the door in his face. Nevertheless, he was glad she didn't. He offered his hand and she took it unwillingly. She felt her blood heat up again, but this time it wasn't out of anger.

"Where shall we go on this fine evening, love?" Klaus grinned at her. His enthusiasm was ridiculously contagious, and soon Caroline found herself at ease.

"Wherever you want, I really don't care."

Klaus's smile vanished. "Something's bothering you. I'll take a wild guess and say that it's me."

That made Caroline smile. "No, it's just…" Her voice trailed off. She couldn't tell him that she felt left out by her friends without mentioning what they were up to. She masked a thoughtful expression before speaking up again.

"You know that sucky feeling when you get the impression that your friends don't want you to be a part of something? So you feel like such an outcast in school."

Klaus smirked. "You're asking somebody who's regarded as the biggest abomination in town and resorts to spending his free time painting."

Caroline glanced at Klaus curiously. She'd never heard him belittle himself before. In fact, she'd always thought he was never able to. His big head usually came together with his 'big, bad wolf' façade.

"I thought you liked painting."

"Oh, I love painting. But at times, it tends to get a bit… lonely." He pulled his hand away from hers and pointed to the building in front of them. It had a large neon sign that read 'Peggy's Diner'. "We've arrived."

Caroline didn't realise that they had walked at least eight blocks from her house. They were in an area behind the town square where all the abandoned buildings were. She gazed at the small restaurant before her. How long had that been there? She knew every inch of Mystic Falls, but she'd never recognised this particular diner. It looked old and deserted, like it shouldn't even have been in business in the first place.

"This place has been shut down long before you and your human friends came to Mystic Falls," Klaus explained. "I'm sorry it's a little run-down, we could go someplace else…"

"No, it's fine…" Caroline's eyes were still fixated on the diner. It must have been there for at least fifty good years. She pushed the door open. She'd assumed there would be cobwebs in the corners and tables grimed with dust, but the place was surprisingly clean. It was empty, but Caroline heard murmurs coming from the kitchen and water boiling, followed by the clanging of pots and pans.

"I thought this place was shut down."

Klaus smiled sheepishly. "I compelled a few desperate employees to start this place up again. I presumed that even if we weren't coming here tonight, I would still like to take you here someday. Such a shame that greasy spoons are close to extinction today, don't you think? Besides, you looked like you needed a timely escape from your accustomed _modern_ lifestyle."

Caroline rolled her eyes and looked around the diner. She _did_ feel like she had just been transported back to the 1950s. The only thing she knew about the 50s was from watching _Grease_. And she'd seen that movie at least a hundred times. She sighed. If she just let herself go this one time, would she regret it in the future?

She turned around and feigned seduction. "Tell me 'bout it, stud."

Klaus laughed and Caroline joined in. Normally, she would feel like a complete idiot if she ever did something like that but for some reason, she didn't feel the need to be her insecure, neurotic self when she was with Klaus. As much as she hated the idea of having fun with Klaus, she hated the idea of spending the night alone and grudging against her friends a lot more.

As soon as they were seated, a harried young woman rushed out of the kitchen with a pencil wedged behind her ear and a notepad in hand. Judging by her outfit, Caroline assumed she was the waitress. The woman grabbed the pencil from behind her ear.

"What can I get you two tonight?" she asked, with a smile that wasn't all that sincere.

"Oh my god," said Caroline, covering her mouth to stop herself from laughing, "you _compelled_ them to dress up like they did in the 50s?"

"Well, I suppose it's only authentic." Then, glancing at the waitress, Klaus said, "Two milkshakes, please."

When the waitress left, Klaus smiled at Caroline. "I'm glad we came here, where we can be alone. I quite like the seclusion."

"Me, too." As soon as the words escaped Caroline's mouth, she mentally slapped herself. Klaus cocked an eyebrow at her. Neither of them would have ever guessed she would say something like that, not ever, since it was usually contrariwise. Caroline quickly looked away from Klaus.

"I meant 'me, too' because… because look at what I'm wearing!" Caroline stammered." She was wearing her oldest pair of her faded jeans and a top she'd probably owned since preschool. She'd gone out immediately after Klaus showed up and hadn't bother changing because for one, she wanted to prove a point to him and for another, she'd honestly just wanted to get the night over with. She couldn't imagine going to a snazzy restaurant wearing what she was clad in right now.

"And yet, you've never looked more beautiful."

Caroline couldn't help smiling. It was impossible not to let Klaus's honeyed words affect her. She'd only spent her entire life feeling as if she wasn't good enough. It wasn't so wrong to let herself believe his compliments once in a while, was it?

A long and exceptionally uncomfortable silence passed between them. Caroline looked out the window, though there wasn't much to see except for piles of refuse and old warehouses that nobody went to anymore. For a place that looked so nice _inside_, it didn't have much of a view. Klaus cleared his throat and fiddled with his fingers.

"So, ah, about yesterday…"

Caroline glanced at him. From the little topics they had to talk about, she knew yesterday's messy intrusion was bound to be one of them. She'd dreaded it all night.

"It wasn't what you think it was," Klaus continued, unsure of what to say. "But I would still like to apologise."

"Seriously, Klaus. There's nothing that _you_ need to apologise for. _I'm_ the one who should be sorry for bursting in like that. I heard a crash, and I thought…"

"Yes, that was a priceless vase that had been around for centuries." He frowned.

"I know, I saw the shattered pieces. Along with Hayley…" Caroline scrunched up her nose, "…and her lacy lingerie."

"It happened quite suddenly."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, I can tell. Though I wish it was easier for me to get the image of your tongue down her throat out of my mind. It's already started giving me nightmares." There was a hint of cutting acidity in her voice.

If Klaus didn't know any better, that bitterness in her voice almost resembled jealousy. "It was a desperate move for my part. Fret not, Caroline. I definitely still prefer blondes over brunettes."

Caroline felt her cheeks burn. Sometimes she wished he could at least be a bit more subtle with the flirty comments. She was about to open her mouth to reply, but the waitress returned with their drinks. _Phew_, thought Caroline, _saved by the milkshake._

"It's a bit quiet in here, don't you think?" Klaus said, after they'd had a couple of loud sips of their milkshakes. He walked over to the jukebox and, slipping some coins into it, he pushed a button. Slow music started playing, but Caroline didn't recognise the song. It sounded very old, like it came from the 60s but somehow, given the situation they were in, it fit perfectly.

He held out a hand in front of her. She looked at him dubiously.

"Are you crazy?" she asked, though she was suppressing laughter. She took it anyway, and let him spin her closer to the middle of the desolate diner. She couldn't believe what was happening, but mostly she couldn't believe she was _letting_ herself believe it. In spite of everything, though, it definitely beat popcorn and a movie marathon at home alone.

"Is this gonna be our thing?" she asked, sounding exasperated, but not actually looking it.

Klaus smiled at her wistfully. "It could be if you wanted it to."


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter. I hope you don't find it disappointing, because I want Klaus/Caroline's relationship to develop gradually and not rushed. I have lots more planned for this story but I'd love it if you gave me more feedback so I know if you think it's good/bad/horrible. Thanks! :-)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TVD, so don't sue OK.

* * *

It was at least a good hour later and yet, they were still swaying back and forth in middle of the empty diner. Despite the number of times they'd danced together in just the past year, Caroline still found it unbelievable that she could feel so relaxed when she was close to Klaus. And this time the worst part was, she didn't even need help from booze. She began to worry that she may actually be _liking_ it. Klaus's arm tightened around her waist, and Caroline sighed.

"Is there something on your mind, love?"

"There is, but I'm not sure if I should ask about it."

"Why not?"

"It's kind of embarrassing." Caroline looked him in the eye, looking entirely serious. "But not for my part."

If he didn't seem interested in what was on her mind before, he was eager to know now. He looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"How long have you had that triangle tattoo?"

This time, it was Klaus's turn to look away in embarrassment. "I didn't think you noticed that."

"I didn't think I did, either." Caroline nodded, maintaining a straight face. "Nice touch with the birds, by the way."

Klaus looked absolutely mortified. "Enough about the ink in my skin. I've lived through many centuries; yes, sometimes there are regrets but they're to stay with me forever, so if you've got a problem with them–"

"I don't." Caroline smirked. If she could add something to her list of enjoyable things, it would be to watch Klaus be defensive about his body. "It was a compliment, Klaus."

He didn't smile back. Instead, he leaned in so close that his next words buzzed in her ear. "I'm not foolish, Caroline. I know what it is you're doing here. This isn't the first time you've used that pretty face of yours as a means of distraction for me."

Caroline stiffened, but it wasn't the fact that he knew that scared her. It was that she'd completely forgotten all about her little mission herself; she'd been so distracted by Klaus and his charm and flattery.

"But for your sake, I'll let this one go," he continued. "After all, your misery earlier tonight did look quite convincing."

"Because it _was_ real. I felt left out by my friends tonight, because they're somewhere else discussing about God knows what." Caroline was practically defying everything the Salvatores told her to do, but she didn't care. She hated Klaus then, for always having to prove he was the alpha male, and for ruining a perfectly good night (even though she wasn't particularly _supposed_ to have a good time). "So if you have anything you want to ask me about, like say, the cure, then sorry, but I don't have anything to say about it. And besides, it's not like _you_ don't have anything to hide, either. I know there's a hidden agenda behind the whole sex getup with Hayley."

Klaus looked bemused. "Haven't you considered that perhaps, werewolves have started to grow on me?"

"_Perhaps_," Caroline sneered. She didn't know why she mentioned Hayley again, but it was the only riposte she could conjure up. He could have all the wolf sex with her if he wanted; she honestly didn't care. She pulled away from Klaus, grabbed her purse and stormed out of the shabby diner. Tapping her foot impatiently on the ground as she waited for him, she suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream from inside the diner. She immediately dropped her purse and dashed inside.

The waitress that served them earlier was lying on the ground, unconscious; probably dead. Klaus turned back to look at Caroline and smiled, blood dripping excessively from his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, and ashen veins drew out beneath them. His temper was something that had a life on its own, and Klaus had embraced it. But looking at him, Caroline didn't so much as flinch. She knew he was trying to scare her away, but it didn't work. She continued to glare at him, unaffected by his horrifying appearance.

"I don't believe this. You're _completely_ deranged!" she yelled.

"You have your own ways of manifesting your temper, and I have my own." He closed his eyes. "Mm, that lady was quite delicious."

"You disgusting _pig_!"

Klaus's smile was still intact. He shrugged his shoulders, like he couldn't help what he was. "That's original."

"You obnoxious, despicable beast…"

Klaus had been walking towards her, and now he was standing right in front of her. She raised an arm, ready to give him a tight slap across his face, but he caught it just before it could meet his face. He was not smiling anymore and there was a steely look in his eyes.

"I think that's quite enough, love."

They stood unmoving, his hand clenching her arm and their eyes locked in scrutiny. If they'd had anything in common at all, it was the burning rage in their eyes in that very moment.

"I would like it very much if you told me _exactly_ where your little friends are and what it is they are doing."

"I can't," Caroline replied grimly. "I have no idea where they are, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you_, _not even if you torture it out of me."

Klaus growled in frustration. Why did she have to be so _difficult_? He was so used to getting what he wanted and _when_ he wanted it, he'd forgotten how aggravating it was for someone to resist. "Well, if that's what it takes."

Caroline scoffed at him. "You don't scare me, Klaus. You're going to have to play a different card this time."

He leaned in so their faces were inches from one another. Caroline braced herself for the worst but to her intense surprise and confusion, Klaus released her arm. "I admire your bravery, Caroline. Though at times it is quite unwise, it is bravery nonetheless."

And then he disappeared, and Caroline was left to find her way back home by herself.

* * *

Caroline arrived home to find her door unlocked, and then grumbled when she saw the Salvatore brothers flopped on _her_ couch in front of _her_ TV, munching on the popcorn that _she_ had made as if it were their home. For the first time in a long time, she wished her mother didn't work so late.

"Blondie's back." Damon smirked. "How was Klaus? Did you get him good? What'd his lips taste like?"

"Not tonight, Damon," Caroline said, sounding exhausted. She bid Stefan goodnight and walked towards the stairs, but Damon raced her to it. She counted to ten silently, clasping her hands behind her back to stop herself from punching him again. She was in no mood for his usual put-downs tonight, and after what went on with Klaus earlier, she just wanted to sink into her bed.

"Tell me what happened, Caroline. I swear to God, if you screwed this up again–"

"Well, I _didn't_, okay?" she snapped. "He was on to me, and he threatened me to tell the truth, but I kept my mouth shut so if you would please excuse me, I had a really tiring night trying not to get killed by an Original hybrid and I just want more than anything for you to get out of my way so I can go to bed."

"Well, good," Damon muttered, and there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Like you care," Caroline shot back, walking around him and up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door shut.

* * *

"I swear, I left it right here!" Caroline exclaimed, pointing to the ground where she'd dropped her purse the night before. She'd been so occupied with the monster that Klaus had been (and still _was_) that she'd forgotten all about her purse until the next morning.

"Left?" Elena snickered.

"Okay, fine, I dropped it. But a purse couldn't have gone running off, could it?"

"Are you _sure_ Klaus took you here last night, Care?" Elena squinted at the diner. "Doesn't look like it's been open in forever."

"He compelled people to start it up again, _and_ he made them wear 1950s outfits! Can you believe him?"

"Actually, I can. I mean, it's Klaus we're talking about. If he wants something done, it gets done. No matter the costs." At her friend's solemn tone, Caroline shuddered as she remembered the sacrifice two years ago. She and her friends had tried so hard to stop it from happening, but in the end Jenna still died, and Elena's blood still helped him create his stupid pack of hybrids, so they knew better than to double-cross him again.

"Where could it be?" Caroline muttered, pacing in front of the diner. Apart from the diner, everything else in the area was barren. Piles of rubble were collected at the bottom of buildings that were meant to be built but was out of construction in years. Nobody else could've been there to snatch her purse from the ground.

"Maybe someone took it," Elena said, and Caroline was filled with dread. Those were the exact words she was hoping _not_ to hear. "Maybe it was one of the employees."

_I doubt they'd have been focusing on stealing a purse once they saw the waitress lying dead on the floor,_ Caroline thought, but she just sighed.

"Yeah, I guess."

"How much money did you have in it, anyway?"

"Just a twenty, but I'm not worried about the money, Elena. My phone is _gone_! I feel completely useless without it. Someone could be using it at this very moment."

"Then we'll block the number and get you a new phone, how's that sound?"

Caroline forced a smile. It wasn't really about the phone, but what was in it. The idea of it being carried around by someone else, blocked number or not, made Caroline feel awfully uneasy. Just then, she saw a large figure lurking behind an abandoned building. She blinked a few times and looked again, but it was gone.

"What is it, Care?"

"Nothing, I thought I saw… never mind."


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review/follow/favourite this story! Please don't hesitate to continue letting me know if this story is still worth a shot! I actually enjoy writing Klaus/Caroline, I'm thinking of writing another one once this one is complete (which is still a long way to go, so don't worry). I tweaked Hayley's character a bit, because a) the show never gave her much of a storyline/personality, and there will be a twist in this fic soon; and b) because I personally don't like her as a character, though I adore Phoebe Tonkin. Oh and for those of you who are worried, rest assured that there won't be that much of a love triangle between the wolf, vampire and hybrid.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own TVD, never will.

* * *

Now that she (temporarily) didn't have a phone, Caroline was forced to visit each of her friends' houses just to know what was going on and what they'd managed to find out about the cure. Though their progress was maddeningly slow, they were definitely far ahead than Klaus. He refused to believe that there was such a thing as a cure for immortality and that his sister's story was merely an attempt to lead Caroline and her friends on a wild-goose chase.

As she locked up her front door and began walking down the front porch, she saw Klaus leaning against the large tree in front of her house. He had a somewhat sour expression on his face, no doubt still holding a grudge against her for not telling him about her friends the other night. Caroline walked right by him and along the street. He followed quietly behind her, halting to a stop every time she did. Sighing, she turned around to look at him.

"I get it, okay? You're the evil tyrant that everybody's afraid of, and you get whatever you want. But I made it pretty clear that I'm not going to tell you anything, so what are you doing here, Klaus?"

"I was hoping _you_ would be able to tell _me_." Klaus held up his phone in front of her. "Care to explain this message for me?"

_Klaus, I need you to come over ASAP, _it read, and it was sent by 'Caroline Forbes'.

Caroline squinted at it. "That wasn't me."

"What?" Klaus furrowed his brows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I didn't send that text. I dropped my purse the other night when you killed that woman in the diner. I went to get it back the next morning with Elena, but it was gone. So whoever sent you that text was _not_ me."

"That's peculiar."

"Is this another one of your sick jokes, Klaus?" Caroline hissed. "Who else could've known we were going to be at the diner that night? No one _I_ know has even heard of it! So if this is one of your dirty little tricks, then I'm not playing this game with you."

Klaus was dumbfounded. He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but the sight of her annoyance made his lips twitch into a smile. Caroline glared at him and huffed, "I knew it! You're unbelievable." As she began to walk away, he continued to follow behind her. She turned around sharply.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. She was practically exploding with rage. "I am giving you three seconds to walk away from me right now, or I swear–"

"This isn't one of my tricks, Caroline."

"What?" Then she remembered seeing (or at least _thinking_ she saw) the shadow behind the abandoned building further across the diner. "One of those people you compelled, then! I saw someone behind an almost-building in front of the diner."

Klaus looked puzzled. "Caroline, I compelled the employees to go home immediately after work. Why would one of them be lurking behind an old building?"

"Well, the town water supply must be filled with vervain!" Caroline said, desperately trying not to think the worst. She felt incredibly vulnerable. If she didn't block the number soon, whoever had her phone could continue pretending to be her and fool her friends into thinking it _was_ her. Besides, why did that person try to contact _Klaus_ if it wasn't his own doing?

"Hey," Klaus said softly, reaching for her arm. "I'm sure he isn't that much of a psychopath."

"I guess you're right," Caroline replied, shrugging his hand off. "I mean, nobody could be a bigger psychopath than you."

"Oh stop it, love. You're flattering me."

Out of nowhere, another figure sauntered towards them. It was Hayley, looking as sober as a drunken widower. What the _hell_ was she doing here? She put an arm around Klaus's shoulder, and he regarded her with a disapproving frown. _Ugh_, Caroline thought. _It's not even ten in the morning yet and she's already wasted._

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, giggling senselessly. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Klaus opened his mouth to reply, but Caroline beat him to it. "Nope, he's all yours."

She walked away from them in a hurry, eager to escape before she started getting sick again. Then, with her vampire senses, she heard Hayley ask Klaus, "What was that about? Is that bitchy vamp finally returning your feelings for her?"

Caroline felt her face redden. Quickly turning around, she shouted, "Not a chance in _hell_!"

Klaus grinned at her. "So there _is_ a chance then, here on earth?"

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head in disbelief, briskly turning around again because as always, his cheery spirits were contagious and she found her lips twitching into a smile at his flimsy one-liner as she scurried away.

* * *

"Caroline?"

Both Damon and Elena were surprised to see her hastily open the front door to Elena's house and forcing it shut, then leaning against it with a deep sigh. She jumped, then sighed when she noticed them sitting on the couch. Damon's arm was lazily wrapped around Elena's shoulders, and she was resting her head on his. _Right, the sire bond,_ thought Caroline. She grimaced when she realised she'd just walked out of a sickening situation only to land herself in another.

"What are _you_ so jumpy about?" asked Damon.

"Nothing," Caroline replied quickly. "So, what's the 411 on the cure?"

"No news yet."

"So we have _no_ lead on the cure whatsoever?" Caroline looked baffled. "Not even what it looks like, or where it is? All we have is Rebekah's story, and what Bonnie _thinks_ she found in the grimoires? Are you sure this thing is even real?"

"It's real," Damon said, his expression turning steely. He walked over to Caroline and spoke softly. "See, this is _exactly_ why we didn't want you and getting involved in the first place. We don't need you and your parading drama."

"Hey, you guys, come on," Elena cut in, approaching them, but neither Damon nor Caroline so much as acknowledged her.

"I'm sorry, Elena," said Caroline, still glaring at Damon. "I just can't get used to this. To _him_. If the cure is as real as you say it is, then I can't wait for you to take it so all this…" she gestured to Damon and Elena, "…can finally _end_."

Her face fell as she glanced at her friend, who looked a little betrayed at her words. But then she caught another glimpse of Damon and her anger rose again, so she immediately stormed out of Elena's home before she could've done anything she would have only regretted later.

* * *

"Why so glum, love?"

"Go away." Caroline was sulking on her front porch, partially out of non-dying anger towards Damon, and also because she felt guilty for telling Elena how she really felt about her and Damon; what did her friend know? She was under a stupid curse called a _sire bond_. The last person she wanted to see now was Klaus, but she was too emotionally exhausted to lash out at him, too.

"That doesn't sounds even _remotely_ sincere. I'm sure you can do better than that, Caroline."

"I have better things to think about than what insult to throw at you," she grunted. "Where's Hayley?"

"Why does it concern you where she is?"

"It doesn't," Caroline replied, a little too quickly. "But I bet she can entertain you a lot more than I can. I've seen what you both are capable to do in your free time, remember?"

"That's hardly uncalled for, don't you think?" Klaus frowned. He didn't like to be reminded of what he did with Hayley, especially not by _Caroline_. He'd been meaning to tell her that the fling was for informative purposes only, but he'd figured that she wouldn't care either way. She had never exactly responded his feelings for her in a positive way. Besides, he couldn't have her knowing what he'd been up to. "What's _really_ bothering you, love?"

Caroline inspected him, unsure whether she should confide in him. But seeing as Stefan was probably busy canoodling with Rebekah now that Elena was with Damon, and Matt was working and Bonnie was holed up at home surrounded by grimoires to learn more about this supposed 'cure' for vampirism, she had no one else who would really listen to her.

"It's Damon. He just enjoys pushing my buttons. And it doesn't help that Elena agrees to _everything_ he says! It's like I lost my best friend to Satan."

"Would you like me to kill him for you? I'd be happy to do it." Klaus had never been a big of Damon, either. His imprudent arrogance always caused problems. Besides, Klaus still held a grudge towards him for almost ruining the sacrifice two years ago.

"No," Caroline said, but then she thought about it again. "Not yet, at least."

Klaus smirked. "I'll be counting the days till then."

A silence befell them, but it was less uncomfortable than the other night. And at least today, Caroline knew that if it was going to end horribly, there was no one around he would try to hurt. She wasn't scared of him; she never had been. All he had was his huge ego and a lot of threats. Sure, he had a lot of darkness in him, but for some reason when Caroline looked at him, she could only see a hubristic young man who did things out of his own anguish and loneliness.

"I want to apologise," he said suddenly. "I ruined our date the other night. I'm sorry."

Caroline blinked at him, completely taken aback by his words. Did she really hear what she thought she'd heard, or were her ears playing tricks on her? He was _Klaus_. And Klaus never apologised about _anything_. "Sorry's not going to bring back the waitress that you killed."

Klaus looked away from her. "I was hoping I could make it up to you. Would you like to go to the movies with me, Caroline?"

Caroline peered at him. "Are you _kidding_ me?"

"Come on, love. It could take your mind off your misery."

Caroline highly doubted that. In fact, she believed that it would only add on to it.

"Besides, I recall you suggesting it once," Klaus continued. "You said that a movie would be better because talking would not be necessary, and that you could put at least three seats between us."

The memory of that conversation brought a smile to Caroline's lips. "Fine. Whatever. What have I got to lose, anyway?"

"That's the way to look at it."

"Just _promise_ me you won't kill anyone." She didn't know _why_ she agreed to go on yet another date with _Klaus_, but clearly it was too late to turn back now.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best." Klaus disregarded her perplexed expression. "Thank you for giving me another chance, Caroline."

* * *

**A/N#2:** The whole 'whoever had her phone could continue pretending to be her and fool her friends into thinking it _was_ her' phrase was a hint about an upcoming appearance of another TVD character soon. Can you guess who? ;-)


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N:** I know this is a rather quick update, but I felt that the last chapter didn't really spark off anything so here's the next one! I've just finished writing the seventh chapter and to be completely honest, I'm getting a bit stuck (I know what happens next, just not how to _make_ it happen) but I promise on the life of this planet that I will not abandon this story, because I've made it one of my priorities to complete it. I can't promise quick updates like this in the future, though.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TVD!

* * *

The line was agonisingly long, and they waited it out all through the afternoon. If Caroline could say so herself, she was ultimately impressed by the patience Klaus had shown all day. That was, until he finally spoke his mind.

"Can't I just compel these people to run along? If I have to do anymore waiting behind these pathetic swines, I'm going to lose my composure that I have struggled so hard to regain."

A man who had been standing in front of them, enduring the same painfully long queue as they had, turned around to look at Klaus.

"Hey, who are you calling…" His voice trailed off the minute he turned to Caroline, and his demeanor immediately changed. "Well, aren't you a beautiful one? Is this asswipe bothering you?"

Caroline shook her head roughly with a look of fear in her eyes, as if telling him, _You picked the wrong guy to mess with! Turn around while you can!_

But she was too late. Klaus stepped in between them. "I can assure you, mate, you don't want to do that."

"Really, and why not?" the man challenged.

Caroline closed her eyes. _Oh god, this is not going to end well_. Unthinkingly, she reached for Klaus's hand and gave it a light squeeze. At this gesture, Klaus's anger dissipated a little. Instead of ripping the man's heart out in front of everyone like he'd planned to do all along, he compelled him to turn around and shut up before he _could_. The man turned around, looking puzzled but he said nothing more for the next forty-five minutes while they waited in line, and probably even when he got home later, too.

"That wasn't necessary, love." Klaus swept a glance at their linked hands.

Caroline pulled her hand away briskly and crossed her arms across her chest. "On the contrary."

Klaus smiled. They hadn't been on talking terms much before, but now they began to exchange quick-witted banter. He started to think that perhaps, he appreciated them much more than simply talking.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me home."

Klaus had followed her all the way up her front porch and right to her doorstep. He stood with his hands behind his back, ever the _gentleman_ he was, and watched as Caroline struggled to find the right key that would fit into the lock.

"Nonsense." He paused, sounding hesitant. "I had a lovely time tonight, Caroline."

"Yeah, well," Caroline mused, "that makes one of us."

Klaus grew quiet, and then Caroline sighed. The only reason she continued being so cold to him was the reason everyone was. If she was completely honest with herself, she'd had a good time with him, too, despite having to wait in line until the sun set. She needed that distraction today, especially with the dispute with Damon (_and_ Elena) earlier. _How ironic,_ she thought. Usually _she_ was his distraction; today it was the other way around.

"Thank you," she said, pursing her lips. "For behaving today." Before she could realise what she was doing, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Ever the _lady_ she was.

The sensation of her lips on his skin was all too overwhelming. He wanted more of it; no, he _needed_ more, and the desire drove him wild. As she turned and started walking away from him, he felt as though every bit of energy was leaving him, making him weak. And he couldn't have that. Klaus grabbed her hand and spun her around, pressing his lips against hers. The first thing Caroline thought was that they tasted like caramel and salt from the popcorn earlier, but they were also distinctively mixed with so much emotion that it stunned her: desperation, yearning and absolutely _zero_ self-control.

Caroline gripped his shoulders, partly to hold him back but partly to keep _herself_ from falling, because his kiss was not a gentle one; it was aggressive, as though he'd been restraining himself from doing it so long and now that he'd done it, he was in no position to repress it. She wanted to hit him across his face for it; she knew she had to, but she was not in control of her limbs anymore and soon enough, her mind slipped away as well. She moaned beneath his mouth. Not only was she unable to say no, but she was also probably the biggest pushover she knew. And to think she had more restraint than that, especially as a vampire. She hated herself for letting him take control of what was happening between them, just like he always had with everyone else. But she couldn't help it. Not _any_ of it.

Klaus, on the other hand, was not holding back one bit. He slammed her into the wall, ignoring her wincing as he kissed her hungrily. His lips moved down to her jaw, and his hands were far from tender. 'Gentleman' had quickly lost its place in his vocabulary. He dug his fingers deeper into her skin, showing no sign of letting her go, and soon their bodies were pressed so closely together that there was no more space between. And all through it, Caroline did absolutely nothing to stop him. If she had always been curious to know what it would feel like to kiss him (which she _hadn't_), she didn't have to wonder anymore. The pain from his roughness was easy to ignore; she was, after all, a vampire, and each time a part of her body bruised beneath his touch, it healed right away.

The pair made their way into the house and up to her bedroom, where no more words were spoken with their lips but only vicariously through their actions.

* * *

Caroline's eyelids flew open. Seeing the hybrid lying across her on the bed had never horrified her more. Panic rose inside her as she recounted last night's events that followed up to this morning. As she noticed that they were both still fully clothed, she was a little relieved to know that nothing _really_ happened last night, just Klaus and his surprisingly brutal lips. But of course, she didn't feel any better. _Mistake,_ her mind echoed. _Bad, awful, horrible, _terrible_ mistake._

"Morning, love," Klaus greeted, grinning at her. "You look–"

Caroline placed one hand over his mouth and held a finger to her lips. If anyone heard them, _together_, she would be screwed. The Salvatore brothers would skin her alive without a doubt, and she couldn't even begin to think what her mother, the sheriff of the town, would have to say. Suddenly, she heard footsteps right outside her house and froze.

"Mom?" she called out, but there was no response. She wondered if her mother had even come back from the police station at all during the night. The footsteps grew louder, and then she heard her front door creak open. She recognised two pairs of feet pattering across the floor below.

"Hey Blondie, you home?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, and Klaus smirked underneath her palm. Instinctively, she grabbed his phone from the side table and began tapping on it, then held it up for him to read.

_Go out through my window, don't go around the house, just keep walking through the back so no one sees you._

Klaus snatched the phone from her and began typing something out, too.

_You look positively gorgeous in the morning._

Caroline peered at him in disbelief. _'Seriously?' _she mouthed. _'Just go!'_

* * *

"Coming," Caroline mumbled. She went over to the mirror to see how she looked and nearly got a heart attack. Her hair was unkempt and frizzed out, and her makeup was smeared across her face. _'Positively gorgeous' my ass,_ she thought. Either Klaus had suddenly turned blind, or he was just annoyingly ingratiating. She pulled her hair back into a bun and splashed some water onto her face, and though she didn't look particularly presentable, it was better than when she looked like the bride of Godzilla.

When she made her way downstairs, she thought that she would see the Salvatore brothers together, but she was majorly disappointed to see her least favourite Salvatore with her best friend. She inhaled sharply, carefully planning out her sentences so she wouldn't hurt Elena's feelings again.

"Elena, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," she began, though there was a slight uncertainty in her voice, "you know I don't mean any of it. I'm happy as long as you're happy."

"I'm glad to hear that, Care!" Elena hugged her, and Damon rolled his eyes at the two vampires before him.

"Okay, girls, back to business." Damon crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Klaus has a new _lady friend_."

Caroline stiffened. They couldn't have known. Not that quickly, at least. She fiddled with her fingers nonchalantly. "Who'd be dumb enough to go for _Klaus_?"

"Apparently, that werewolf Hayley."

Caroline stopped fidgeting and looked up at him. She wasn't sure if she'd heard him right. "What?"

"Exactly,"Damon said, shaking his head. "Stefan caught her sneaking out of his house last night."

Caroline furrowed her brows. "But that's impossible. Last night he was…" She trailed off when she remembered exactly _whom_ she was talking to.

"Last night he was what?"

_Idiot, idiot, idiot._ She sighed. "Last night we went to the movies."

"Oh." Both Damon and Elena raised their brows in surprise. "I don't remember assigning you to distract him yesterday."

"Extra shift," Caroline shot back. She was annoyed that he used the word 'assigning', like it was her _job_ to distract Klaus. Even though it clearly was. But she was more frustrated about finding out that Hayley was still soliciting with Klaus. Just when she'd thought the she-wolf couldn't get any fishier.

An uneasy thought stirred in her mind. If it made Hayley the bad guy for sleeping with Klaus, then how was _she_ any better?

* * *

**A/N#2:** I apologise if you feel that the 'scene' was a bit rushed, but I don't plan on their relationship to develop that quickly. The point of it was to bring about Caroline's shrouded and unbeknownst (to herself) feelings for him; not immediately, though. I have more things planned for them and this story, so I hope you bear with me.


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N:** Please continue telling me what you think! I'm still stuck at the eighth chapter but I'll try my best to continue it. As you'll be able to see from this chapter, the story will revolve around the cure as well and like I've mentioned before, everything about it is AU. I have more things up my sleeve, I just need to figure out how to phrase it :-(

**Disclaimer:** I'm in no way affiliated with TVD, and I don't own any of the characters. Only the plot.

* * *

"Do you think she knows something?" Elena asked, and the worry in her voice couldn't be more obvious. "About the cure?" Damon wrapped his arms around her waist, and Caroline tried her best not to throw up at the sight.

"I doubt it," Caroline said. She didn't know why they were still talking about Hayley. She thought that they'd have moved on to another subject by then, one that was actually _worth_ discussing. "But even if she did, what good can she do? Klaus made it pretty clear he didn't want to have anything to do with the cure."

"We don't know that he's lying."

"We don't know that he's _not_." Caroline sighed when she saw the surprised look on her friend's face. There she was, blatantly defending Klaus for God knows _what_ reason. "I mean, you know. 'Cause he's scheming like that."

Elena brushed off her earlier suspicion. Caroline tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. She hadn't had time to digest everything that had happened after getting home from the movies last night. Part of her wanted to believe that it never happened at all. What was she thinking? But that was the problem, wasn't it? She _wasn't_ thinking at all last night. And so in the morning, she felt like the biggest idiot ever. Never had she _ever_ regretted something so badly in her life.

"Care?" Elena shook her friend's arm. Caroline blinked a few times. "You spaced out. What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Caroline made a mental note to kick herself later. Thoughts of Klaus were beginning to cloud her mind, and she hated it. She hated herself for not preventing last night's events, and she hated the fact that today, she found herself wishing she _didn't_ hate itso much.

"Okay, well, we were just gonna head over to Bonnie's. You wanna come?"

"Yeah, sure," said Caroline, relieved that at least she would have something else to think about, even if it was something as seemingly imaginary as the cure. "God, I miss her. You guys are torturing her with the search for this cure, you know."

"It'll all be worth it in the end," Damon said promptly.

* * *

"Bonnie!" Caroline immediately pulled her friend into a hug the minute she saw her.

She hadn't seen Bonnie since Rebekah told the ancient story she'd heard centuries ago of the possibility of a cure for vampirism, and Bonnie leafed through every grimoire she ever had to look for the slightest information and found only bits and pieces of it. Sure, the grimoires had mentioned a cure, but that was it. They'd only _mentioned_ it, but they hadn't even indicated if it really was meant for vampires or if it was for other supernatural creatures. Caroline was the first to doubt its existence, but all her friends had been bent on searching for it to give to Elena.

"I think I found something about the cure." Bonnie's eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"This'd better be good," said Damon.

"I gathered all the founding families' journals, since the grimoires gave me next to nothing about the existence of a cure. They mentioned something about it."

Elena's brows furrowed. "Wait, what? I read through each and every one of those journals and I didn't come across anything _close_."

"It's because they sugarcoated it with words like 'remedy' and 'treatment'. But anyway, that's not the point. Don't you know what this means?" The three vampires shook their heads at the witch, and she sighed. "All the founding families mentioned it at least once in the journals. I think it's _here_."

"What do you mean, here?" Damon squinted at her. "You're saying that the cure is in Mystic Falls?"

Bonnie nodded. "When it became too much of a coincidence with the journals, I scanned through the grimoires again and found this." She grabbed one of the grimoires that had been sitting on her bed and flipped to the last page. It was blank, but then Bonnie murmured a spell and the page separated into two different sheets of paper, and words and pictures started appearing. Caroline, Elena and Damon watched in wonder as the last of the paragraphs revealed itself.

"Man, witches are crafty," Damon mumbled. He touched the battered page and then jerked back his finger, yelping in pain. "What the hell?"

Even Bonnie looked confused. She eyed the pages closely. "It was spelled! I guess they never meant for a vampire to find out about the cure."

"But why? Isn't the cure like, a vampire's biggest undoing?" Caroline tried to read the words on the page, but they just looked like a bunch of scribbles. She only noticed a large picture of a compass, except instead of the usual directions, it had weird symbols.

Bonnie shrugged. "Maybe it was some kind of twisted punishment. You cheat death when you become a vampire, so you can't undo what you've done even if you regret it; the only way is to die."

"Well, alright then. Let's go get it. Lead the way, Judgy."

"It's not that simple. The cure is buried underground. I can't use a locator spell without anything to start with, so we need to find this." Bonnie pointed to the picture of the compass on the page. "This is going to lead us exactly to its location."

Damon groaned. Why couldn't they ever have a smooth-sailing quest? Of _course_ there had to be a curb in the way. "Can't we just dig up all the ground in this town?"

The girls looked at him cynically. He sighed and let Bonnie tell them more about the compass – what it was able to do and what the witches had spelled it with; basically, it was the key to finding the cure. All they knew was that the cure was buried somewhere in Mystic Falls. Suddenly, the town they knew so well felt bigger and more spread out than it ever used to.

* * *

The gang decided to take their own time to look for the compass; it could be anywhere. For all they knew, it wasn't even in Mystic Falls. When Caroline returned home, the ambience felt strangely out of place. Like someone had been there. She sprinted up the stairs. As she opened the door to her bedroom, she let out a gasp. Klaus was sat on the edge of her bed, flipping through a book she hadn't read in years and didn't realise she still owned.

"I didn't mean to scare you, love."

The minute her gaze fell on Klaus, all of the memories from last night that she'd been trying so hard to forget (and almost succeeded) came rushing back: the rough kisses, the upheaval that came out of nowhere, the precipitous surge of emotions. Caroline only had to decide exactly what those emotions were. Or at least, she _had_ decided; she just couldn't bring herself to accept them.

Caroline felt her stomach flip-flop as she thought about it. She crossed her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that perhaps I could use your companionship tonight."

_Oh god,_ thought Caroline,_ he thinks we're buddies now._ She tried her best to keep it light. "Why, did the she-wolf break up with you already?"

"Honestly, Caroline." Klaus got up from the bed and looked at her, an amused expression coming over his face. "Why are you so bothered by Hayley? I've told you once before, it was only a desperate move for my part. There is no future where she is concerned, none at all. My affections lie solely with you, Caroline. I thought I couldn't make that any clearer. Every unselfish act that I've done in recent times; it was all for you. _Only_ for you. Do you understand?"

Caroline blinked rapidly, his words hitting her in a way she couldn't explain. If her undead heart could beat, it would be pounding right out of her chest. "Crystal clear."

"The waitress did not die, by the way. I healed her immediately after I bit her. I acted out of my anger, as I tend to do, but I regretted what I did as soon as it happened."

"What? But… but I saw her. She wasn't breathing."

"It was a bite from a hybrid, Caroline. It doesn't heal as quickly as a vampire bite, but it heals nevertheless."

"I don't understand, why…?"

"Don't you see? I want to do better by you. I've never felt quite so _demonstrative_ before, but after last night, what I felt for you… it became amplified, and I realise that no matter what I want to achieve in my life, the only thing I want more is for you to be in it."

"Klaus, I can't," Caroline said, her voice getting weak. "What happened last night was a mistake." He'd done so many horrible things; and they had caused so much pain to her and her friends. She couldn't simply forgive him. There were too many things that she could never forget even if she tried.

Klaus lowered his head. "I understand. If you do decide to forgive me one day, Caroline, I want it to be true. I know that you don't take a daily dose of vervain like the Salvatore brothers do, but just know that I would never compel you to do anything against your will."

Caroline bit her lip. Guilt was staring to spread inside her like wildfire, but then she shook her head. She had no reason to feel guilty, none whatsoever. She managed to squeak a hushed, "Thank you."

* * *

Caroline had a difficult time falling asleep that night. She tossed and turned, but Klaus's words didn't leave her mind. Was it really possible that he cared for her _that_ much? What was it about her that he found so special? Hayley was gorgeous and wildly sexy. Caroline, on the other hand, always said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Being effortlessly charming was not her strong suit.

As Klaus's words echoed in her head once more, she suddenly felt silly for even comparing herself to Hayley. She'd let her own insecurity get the best of her; an unchallenging feat for her. But for there to be insecurity, there had to have been a strength of feeling in the first place. Caroline sighed loudly into her pillow, letting out her frustration.

It was an immensely long night, and Caroline didn't sleep a wink through it.


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N:** There might be a tiny hiatus after this chapter. I'm still writing the eighth chapter, and there are things going on in the real world (I have a piano exam this Saturday) but I'll try my best to keep updating. In the meantime, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own TVD or any of its characters. :-(

* * *

"We should split into groups," Damon said, feeling unusually optimistic. He was looking awfully cheerful today, and Caroline was very much convinced that Damon had been replaced with someone else.

"I'm going with Stefan," she said immediately, and then gave Elena an apologetic look. Stefan had taken some time off his busy friends-with-benefits schedule with Rebekah to help them with the search for the cure, and she'd gone to Mystic Grill to ogle Matt at work. With Rebekah out of the picture, Caroline couldn't be more thrilled to join Team Stefan in their hunt.

"I'm with Stefan, too," Jeremy announced, flashing Damon a dirty look. "Sorry, Elena."

His sister crossed her arms across her chest. She loved Damon, but she hated that her friends and family _didn't_. She was hoping they would have warmed up to him by now, but clearly they haven't. She looked at Bonnie, who had a guilt-ridden look on her face.

Damon glanced at Bonnie helplessly. "Guess that leaves you with us, Judgy."

Heaving a sigh, Bonnie smiled at Elena and nodded. Elena's sullen expression quickly brightened up as she wrapped her hands around the witch's.

"Alright, let's get started," said Damon, clasping his hands together.

* * *

"We'll start north," Bonnie said, leading the lovesick vampires with her as she folded up one of the two pages from the grimoire. The other page was with Jeremy since neither Stefan nor Caroline could touch the piece of paper without their skin catching on fire. They'd tested out the effect after ripping the pages out of the grimoire – on Damon _again_, much to his chagrin – and it turned out the spell was still fully intact.

"I don't know why you bother carrying that around, Jeremy," Caroline mumbled once Bonnie, Damon and Elena were out of earshot. "It's not like there's a map that tells us where this dumb compass is."

"Well, we still need to know what that 'dumb compass' looks like, don't we?"

"It's a big, old, ugly thing," Caroline pointed mid-air to the picture on the page, "trust me, it's not something we would miss." She hated having to find things. Her least favourite game at birthday parties as a little girl was Treasure Hunt, because she would never have to patience to look for whatever they had to. Call her spoiled, but she would rather have things delivered to her than having to locate them herself.

"Look, the sooner we find this thing, the sooner we can get this whole thing behind us." Jeremy sounded annoyed. He was quickly starting to regret not joining his sister and Bonnie, even though they had Damon with them. Stefan patted his back slowly, giving him a look that said, 'Just bear with it.' Jeremy rolled his eyes and focused on the page again.

"Hey, why don't we split up and meet back here? It'll save us more time. Besides, this place isn't small. It could take us days; maybe weeks. We already know what that dumb compass looks like." Stefan smirked at Caroline's dour expression.

"But Stefan–"

"I think it's better."

Caroline huffed and said no more, ignoring the gleeful look on Jeremy's face. "Yeah, okay. Just don't miss me too much."

She headed west, her feet moving quickly through the grass. She didn't bother stopping or merely slowing down to even look for the compass. She loved Elena, and she wanted her to get what she wanted, but what about what _Caroline_ wanted? Then she stopped herself. What _did_ she want? She shook her head as soon it hit her. Tyler. Yes. Of course she wanted Tyler to come back more than anything. How she could even question herself about it, she had no idea. But she remembered now.

She continued walking, her eyes focusing on the tiny blades of grass beneath her shoes. Each crunch of the gravel was distinct, but she could also tune it out if she wanted to. She could hear whatever she wished to hear, and it was one of these little things that made her grateful she was supernatural. She wasn't perfect, but she wasn't terrible either. She was strong, fearless and most of all, she was _free_. She was no longer bound by trivial human conventions like birthday parties and games. Those exact words were spoken to her by someone she loathed, but they were true nonetheless. As if on cue, that particular someone approached her from behind.

"What are you doing, wandering out here all by yourself, love?"

The sound of his voice gave her shivers; shivers she never thought existed before that momentous night they'd spent together. She hated them, and she hated knowing that she probably would continue to have them for God knows how long. She clenched her fists and spun around.

"Are you _stalking_ me now, Klaus?"

"Quite the contrary," Klaus replied, grinning. "If you had only looked up just now, you would've seen my home." He pointed to his house, which was sitting just behind where Caroline was standing.

_Ugh, great_, thought Caroline. Trust her to walk right up to Klaus's mansion. She cursed her feet and her subconscious mind for unthinkingly bringing her there. Klaus bolted straight towards her, his lips reaching down onto her neck. Startled and immediately filled with horror, Caroline gasped. He wasn't going to kill her, was he? But he had every reason to; she'd rejected him when he was trying to convince her of his 'innocence'. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his hands were already holding hers firmly.

"D-don't kill me, please," she whimpered. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the bite that she knew would come, one that would inevitably kill her; if not now, soon. Klaus pressed his lips softly onto her neck and pulled away from her, looking bewildered at her reaction. As soon as Caroline felt his grasp loosening, she opened her eyes and breathed; she realised that she had been holding her breath the whole time they were in contact.

"Why on earth would I do that, sweetheart?" Klaus whispered in her ear, his voice making her tremble worse than trees in a hurricane. "Were you honestly afraid that I was going to kill you?"

"Well, I never know what to expect from you." Caroline sighed restlessly. "You always take me by surprise."

Klaus smirked. "Seeing as we're already here." He put his hand on the small of her back and led her towards his mansion, and Caroline followed compliantly. Her friends would guess where she'd have been soon enough; she'd gone on that movie date with Klaus without their knowledge (or consent) days before.

Upon reaching his mansion, Caroline grimaced as they entered the parlour. "Is the she-wolf lurking around somewhere?" Klaus gave her a look that reminded her of what he said the other night, and she felt silly to have brought it up in the first place. But she didn't stop herself.

"Why were you with her, anyway? I mean, not that I care or anything, but what was that 'desperate move for your part'? What were you trying to get out of her?" Caroline was rambling on, but she couldn't help her curiosity. Klaus returned her questioning look with pursed lips and nothing more.

"Seriously? You're not telling me?" Then she remembered that she was keeping things from him, too, and they never trusted each other; they never found a reason why they should. "Fair enough."

"Wait just a moment," he said, "I'll go get us some drinks."

Caroline sat at the edge of the settee across the fireplace, which wasn't lighted since it was already warm outside. She tapped her foot on the ground, and then stopped as soon she realised that it echoed through the big, empty mansion. She looked around the parlour aimlessly. Since the lights were turned off, every shiny object in the room glinted under the little sunlight that penetrated through the windows. One caught her eye and as she approached the cabinet, she noticed something awfully familiar crammed in between old, dusty books. She reached for it and as soon as she pulled the item out, she caught her breath.

It was a compass. No, it was _the_ compass. And she'd found it in Klaus's possession.

* * *

The first thing Caroline thought to do was to run. Specifically, the first thing she did was drop the compass with a clink; a clink that probably echoed through the whole house for Klaus to hear. Then, without looking back, she ran from the mansion, her mind harrowing with wicked thoughts of Klaus and whatever he had up his sleeve. But what was mostly taking over her was anger; every different kind of irate feeling building up in her. She had no right, she knew that, but she felt utterly betrayed. Because he had in his hands the one thing they needed to locate the cure, and yet he went around saying that he wanted nothing to do with the cure. He'd lied to all of them; to _her_, and she had never seen so much _red_ in her vision before.

She panted as she reached the spot that she, Stefan and Jeremy had agreed to meet up again after their quest for the compass, and they were already waiting for her.

"Caroline? Did you find it?"

Her anger melted away almost instantly at the sight of her friends. She wanted to tell them, she _had _to, but for some reason she felt she couldn't. And she wouldn't, not until she found out what he knew first. She quickly masked a clueless expression and shrugged. "Find what?"

"The compass!" Jeremy cried impatiently.

"Sorry, guys." Caroline shook her head. "I didn't see anything. I thought I saw Klaus again and I _cannot_ bear running into that guy again, so I ran back here." _At least one of those statements is true,_ she thought. Now, she really didn't want to have anything to do with Klaus. He _was_ entirely evil, and she couldn't believe that she had doubted it even for a second. All that bullshit about wanting her in his life more than wanting anything else; strangely, the words felt like poison to her now. He used her just the way she used him, so that she wouldn't suspect anything. Oh, the _nerve_.

She was going to get to the bottom of whatever he was up to, and then she was going to expose him in front of her friends. She smiled as her carefully laid-out plan unfolded in her mind. It was foolproof. She was the only one who could get to him, and none of her friends would have to get hurt. Perfect.

The crushed look of hopelessness in Stefan's eyes pained Caroline. She hated having to lie, especially to one of her closest friends. She knew how much he wanted to get the old Elena back and that he would sacrifice anything for her. But if she could just unveil another one of Klaus's devious schemes _and_ get the compass from him, she knew he would just thank her later.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, Klaus isn't 'entirely evil'. Relax, guys.


End file.
